A support assembly for securing a bicycle to a load carrier is previously known from, for example, WO 2006/004519. The support assembly comprises a clamping ring provided at one end of a bar and a claw-shaped gripping means provided at the other end of the bar, which are intended to be mounted between a frame of the load carrier and the bicycle, a common tensioning means in the form of a bolt, which extends through the gripping means, being arranged to force together said gripping means when tightened. By mounting a lockable knob on the bolt, both gripping means can be locked in the tightened position. Although the function of this support assembly, which before tightening is slidable along the frame, has proven satisfactory, the assembly has not afforded sufficient flexibility when using several support assemblies of different length, since it has been difficult to change the places of the support assemblies to accommodate different arrangements of the bicycles on the load carrier. Usually, it has been necessary to dismount the frame in order to change the position of the support assemblies.
Other kinds of support assemblies or spacer means are previously known through, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,282,555, which discloses an adjustable arm provided at both ends with a securing strap, or DE G9214916.2, which discloses an arm provided at both ends with a claw-shaped gripping means. A disadvantage of these devices is that they cannot be sufficiently tightened around the frame and do not afford satisfactory protection against theft, since the first device is not lockable and the second features a claw that opens outwards and is quite easily prised open. Furthermore, the spacer means may come loose during transport if the tensioning means was insufficiently tightened.